How Reference Materials and Research Methods can Exclude in Underfunded Public Elementary Schools

 

    The focus of this blog post will be the learning that I have gained from Theme One of LIBE 467. I will discuss the gap between the real and the ideal public school library, the strengths and weaknesses of various research models, and what a less limited view of reference sources might look like.

    One of the most powerful ideas from theme one has been the large gap between the real and ideal

public school library. In “Achieving Information Literacy”, I learned that the library  

I work in should have at least a 0.5 library technician in order to be in the ‘Acceptable’ category. It

should also have between 30-45 periodicals in order to be in the ‘Acceptable' category (Achieving

Information Literacy, 23 and 29). My library has neither a Library Technician nor the budget to afford

between 30-45 periodicals. In a comment for this course, Professor Beaudry also pointed out how 

much less funding public school libraries get than municipal libraries, as well as the fact that many 

public school libraries literally had limited or no budgets in the years 2001 – 2016 

(https://canvas.ubc.ca/groups/498662/discussion_topics/1705953). While these facts are hard to hear, it 

does comfort me knowing that the sense I have of fighting an uphill battle to run an excellent

library is not unfounded, but is actually grounded in a systemic under-funding of the system.

 


Another area of learning for me has been about the strengths and weaknesses of various research models. I was struck by Carol Kuhlthau’s “Information Seeking” model and how it showed the emotional stages that learners went through when researching (Riedling, 11). In my experience with Grade 8 students, the frustration that students felt midway through the research process is entirely true. I was also surprised and a bit disappointed by Stripling and Pitt’s “Research Process” and how it so narrowly viewed research as ending in a presentation (Riedling, 10). For research to be authentic, it should not have to end in a school assignment. A student who wants to learn how to ride a bike should have their research request be just as honoured as a student seeking an answer for a Science presentation. The research models we use in libraries should include both academic and real world learning.

    Finally, I was struck by the view of reference materials as always being physical or digital artefacts. In “Reference Skills for the School Librarian: Tools and Tips”, the author states “The Reference collection occupies at least two places in the library – on bookshelves in a separate section and on the school library Web page” (Riedling, 17). Yet this misses out on some of the most valuable reference sources of all – the people in our lives. The BCTF “Aboriginal Ways of Knowing and Being” states that “Learning involves developing relationships”, that “Important teachings emerge through stories” and that “Learning honours our Ancestors, Elders, Knowledge Keepers, and Descendants” (https://www.bctf.ca/docs/default-source/discovery-pages-documents/2018-awokb-posters-8-5x11-x4.pdf). The Vancouver Public Libraries' Indigenous Storyteller in Residence is one model of centring Aboriginal Truth by bringing in Aboriginal speakers to tell their stories (https://www.vpl.ca/storyteller).

 


    After this theme’s reading, I have gained a deeper appreciation of how the challenges in my library fit into the broader challenges of libraries across Canada, and how the choices I make in terms of research models and reference materials can both include or exclude patrons.

 

Works Cited

Aboriginal Ways of Knowing - British Columbia Teachers' Federation. BCTF, https://www.bctf.ca/docs/default-source/discovery-pages-documents/2018-awokb-posters-8-5x11-x4.pdf.

Asselin, Marlene, et al. “Achieving Information Literacy - Ontario Library Association.” Achieving Information Literacy, Canadian Association for School Literacy, https://accessola.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/2003-AchievingInfoLiteracy.pdf.

Beaudry, Richard. “Lesson 3B Reference Materials - Group 4.” LIBE 467, UBC, 27 Jan. 2023, https://canvas.ubc.ca/groups/498662/discussion_topics/1705953. Accessed 3 Feb. 2023. 

“Indigenous Storyteller in Residence.” Vancouver Public Library, Vancouver Public Library, https://www.vpl.ca/storyteller. 

Riedling, A. & Houston, C. (2019). Reference Skills for the School Librarian: Tools and Tips. Libraries Unlimited.



 

 

 

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